Once A Hero
by KatLeePT
Summary: Lex has a chance to play hero for one day. Future AU. Male/male romance.


Lex Luthor smiled broadly as he set down in front of the whole of Metropolis. People applauded him, and for the first time that Lex could remember, he knew that not a single one of those clapping for him had had their support bought. They were all clapping, all praising him for what he had done for today he had openly saved the whole world. It had been an amazing experience, but he found, as he was honest with himself, that there was only one thing he wanted to do now.

Camera bulbs flashed. People yammered for his attention. His smile would be on the front cover of every national magazine in the morning. It would be his name emblazoned on the headlines of the papers, and the press had no reason to say anything bad about him. He had saved them all when Superman couldn't.

But now, through the crowd, his blue eyes met another pair of blue eyes, and at last he understood. Clark didn't do everything he did all day long because he wanted the attention. Lex had known that since they had been boys, but he had never understood just how much of a toll it did take on him until today or why he persisted in working like a slave for a world of people who would never truly understand, let alone accept, his lover.

Lex had often wanted to switch roles with the younger man, but now that he had, he was glad his term as a hero would be over soon. He could feel Clark's power waning from his body already and had nearly failed to make a smooth landing in front of his admirers. He caught one question from a certain reporter and smiled at her camera. "Miss Lane, I am no hero."

"I was only blessed today with being able to help through a means which I both do not entirely understand myself and will not divulge to any one. I am merely a man who saw an opportunity to help and save millions of lives and took it. Superman is the real hero. I can not explain the whys or the hows, but he will be back with you tomorrow and you should be grateful." His blue-eyed gaze became considerably more menacing as he added, "You all should really be grateful for everything that man in red does for you."

He shook his head. "I honestly don't know how he does it day after day night after night." But he knew well what he would like to do with him day after day and night after night. He looked at Clark again, seeing completely through his reporter's guise to the hunk beneath the clothes, and smiled. "But he does it because he loves you all, even though he hasn't met you all. He does it out of love, and you should love him in return."

"Are you saying, Mister Luthor, that you wouldn't work as hard as Superman to save the world every time it was threatened if you had always had this powers?"

His smile had faded, but now his lips curved upward into another smile. This one, however, held no humor or joy. "We'll never know," he spoke with an air of mystery. "Will we, Miss Lane?" Looking back to Clark, he winked meaningfully and then took flight. He zipped swiftly away from the crowd but had barely made it a few miles when he was forced to land again. This time, he collapsed against a brick wall, but soon, there were arms holding him.

"How . . . How did you find me?"

Clark smiled down at him. "I'll always find you, Lex." He held him with one arm and lovingly stroked his face with the hand of his other arm. "How did you like being the hero today?"

Lex smiled. "It had its perks,but do you know what the best moment of my day has been?"

"Tell me."

"Waking up to you this morning." When he had awakened, Lex had found himself, as he had since they had been teenagers, curled in Clark's loving embrace, but unlike every other morning of his life, he had found himself gazing straight through his lover's pajamas. They had quickly realized that the latest kryptonite they had discovered, this one a purple hue, had somehow caused Lex to gain Clark's powers and left Clark with no more endurance than that of a normal man.

Clark smiled. "That's always the best part of my morning," he told him, "and the best part of my night is going to sleep beside you."

"I don't know if I'd agree that was the best part of our nights," Lex replied, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh?" Clark asked and then laughed. Grinning, he kissed him quickly, then offered, "Why don't we relive our best moments?"

Lex's arms circled his neck and strong shoulders. "I do believe, Mister Luthor, that is the best plan I've heard all day."

Clark kissed him again. "Give me just a moment," he said, and before Lex was hardly even aware that he had released his hold on him, Clark had changed into his Superman uniform. Then he lifted his husband into his arms and flew them both home, kissing him behind every cloud as they went.

The End


End file.
